Love in Unexpected Places
by Lexielovely
Summary: 35 girls, from all over Idris. Each and every single one vying for the chance to be selected for the chance of meeting THE William Herondale, prince of Idris. All except for one Tessa Gray. When Tessa is selected, who knows what will happen? She might just find love in the most unexpected place of all. TMI/TDA/TID characters used. Based on Kiera Kass' The Selection!
1. Chapter 1

TESSA'S POV

Let's make one thing clear, before I say anything. I'm a fairly simple girl. I was never one for the frilly dresses and the colorful bows like most girls my age. I never needed much. That being said, I didn't want to be a One. I didn't want to be royalty. And I certainly did not want to marry William Herondale and become the princess of Idris.

Earlier today, my mother had received the letter in the mail. The standard letter that every single household with a teenage girl got. While it may have been customary for some, it was the letter that changed my life.

"My goodness, Tessa dear, this is your opportunity! You could enter the Selection, win, and become a princess! You just have to enter, isn't this exciting?" Elizabeth Gray exclaimed as she bustled around the household, fixing dinner. She may have been excited about the Selection, but I certainly was not.

The Selection, to put it simply, is a contest between 35 girls in which they all fight and compete for the chance to marry a royal member of Idris and become a princess. In this case, they were fighting for William Herondale, the prince of the Herondale household.

I don't believe myself to be an unkind person, or a judgmental one at that, but there is certainly something to be said about William Herondale. I've never met him, but from all of the magazines and news channels I have seen, he's just about the most annoying, arrogant boy on the planet. He's always out with a new girl every week, and the scandals are published on every newspaper. Honestly, I can't even believe that they're holding a Selection; I can't imagine him being tied down to one person for the rest of his life. I seriously pitied the poor girl who would have to be stuck with him.

With my mother looking at me expectantly, I remembered that I had to respond to her question. With a look on my face that told all, I said, "No way. You know how I feel about William Herondale, he's despicable. There is no way I would put my name in there and risk being selected."

I already knew that there would be hell to pay after I said that, maybe some yelling and a stern talking to. But instead, she decided to pull the guilt trip. "But Theresa, think about your father, us as a family. We work so hard every day and barely scrape by. With this money, we could really have a better chance. We're already so low on the caste system I'm not sure how much longer we can tire ourselves out like this."

In my heart, I knew she was right. My family is a 6, meaning that we are two away from being the lowest class on the caste system. We were essentially just laborers, doing the odd jobs no one wanted to do, like cleaning, and getting payed for it. It was really hard work, and has definitely taken a toll on my family. I mean, my hards are scrubbed raw every day, and I have some of the lighter jobs. My father, Richard Gray, is a hardworking man who can barely make it home in time for dinner. I love him, but I rarely get to see him. My mother, Elizabeth Gray, is… very bossy, to put it simply. I know that she has a good heart, and sometimes she can even let loose and have some fun, but lately we haven't been able to see that. She's constantly stressed with all of our jobs, and getting home on time to put food on the table. Everything's changed since my brother, Nathaniel, left on his mission.

When the word "mission" pops into mind, it might sound heroic. But you're sorely mistaken if that was believed to be the truth. He left us, embarking on his quest to work his way up the system to become a 2. It seems to be his lifelong journey, and he will stop at nothing to get it. In that, he left me to take over the burden to help support our family, and the wages just haven't been the same ever since. So we're struggling to make ends meet.

It was a pretty solid reason to enter, all in all. But later that night, as I snuck out, the leaves making a soft rustling noise in the wind, the moonlight illuminating the path I was taking, I was reminded of why I couldn't. I walked to an abandoned shack near my house, a basket of leftover food in my hands, waiting for Jem to come.

Suddenly, I heard a rustling noise and I heard the sound of a young man saying, "Fancy seeing you here, Tessa." Immediately, I turned and a wide smile crossed my face. And I saw Jem.

James Carstairs. My pure-hearted, kind Jem. Jem, who is much to good for this kind of world, the horribly oppressive world and caste system we abide to. He is a 5, but he actually has it much worse than my family. He is the oldest of four children, and ensuring that he can provide for all of them and his mother was a difficult task. I've always felt for him, seeing how he can manage to do all of that while maintaining such a pure heart. But what I really admired about him was his perseverance and gentle strength.

Although it may not look like it, Jem's been through more than anyone else I have ever known. A long time ago, when Jem was just a child, he used to live in another village with his parents. They had a happy life until one day, tragedy struck. The notorious village leader some would even describe as demon-like, by the name of Yanluo, took control of the village and forced them to take yin fen, a horrible drug that forces one to become reliant on it to sustain life. As a result, Jem's hair and eyes were turned a silvery color, as opposed to his former dark hair and dark eyes that were prominent features in his Asian heritage. Everyone in Jem's family was fine, except for his father, who was killed after bravely attempting to stand up to Yanluo.

Some have thought that Jem's strange, unusual hair color was extremely odd. But I think that it only adds to his gentle character and reminds us all what he has been through and how strong he has been. But he can't always be so strong.

Even to this day, Jem constantly relies on the yin fen to sustain him, and he gets sick because of it. It hurts my heart to watch him and his family struggle to be able to afford to buy the yin fen, as times were as tough as they could get, while being able to provide food and shelter for themselves. All of the money they acquired from their occupations were barely enough to scrape buy, and Jem runs himself ragged just trying to do all of this.

Because Jem is a 5, he is deemed as an artist. He plays the violin, and the sound itself is so beautiful, it seems as if heaven had been brought down to Earth for the brief minutes the song lasts. I love it when he plays for me, but unfortunately, he spends most of the day playing ridiculous songs the rich request when they buy his talent for an event.

Getting lost down memory lane, I briefly forgot that Jem was standing in front of me, looking at me worriedly. "Tessa… hey Tessa, are you okay?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.

"Quite all right, Jem. I just got caught up in my thoughts again," I remarked as I walked closer to him and gave him a chaste kiss. Always the gentleman, Jem is constantly proper, when in private and in public. "Look what I brought you."

I opened the basket of leftover food I had brought and spread it out, laying out an assortment of chicken, slightly stale bread, and water. "Tessa, you really shouldn't have," Jem said, a slight frown marring his usually gentle features.

"I wanted to. Now hurry up and eat, I have the most ridiculous thing to tell you." As he ate, I began telling him all about the Selection and how my mom wanted me to enter. Jem listened carefully, looking thoughtful as he heard all about it.

Suddenly, he said hesitantly, "It's not such a bad idea, you know. You could do it. You could enter."

I jumped up, looking aghast. "Jem, how could you even say that? You really want me to enter and compete for the affections of some shallow, arrogant prince? I love you, I could never do that to myself, nor you."

Gently, he slowly got up, and took my hands. "I know you don't want to darling, but think of it this way. You probably won't be one of the Selected, so first just do this to appease your mother. Secondly, on the rare chance you do get selected, you get money for being there. If you truly do not wish to be there, you could easily leave. I just want what's best for you, and your family. It would truly make their day."

Looking at him, and thinking about what my family could do with the money should I get Selected, I knew that it was the right choice. I was just reluctant to admit it because of that blasted William Herondale. Goodness, it would be absolute torture just being in the same room as him. I bet he's just a puppy-hating, book-burning monster.

But no matter. I was going to do this for my family, and for Jem.

Taking a deep breath, I looked at Jem and said, "I'll do it."

 **A/N: Ahhh oh my god guys! I was sitting in history class and all of a sudden, the inspiration for this story just hit me! I figured, I've never written a story about the Selection, or the Infernal Devices before, so why not? I love both series so much, it's a surprise that I haven't done this before. BTW, this has to be the longest chapter I've ever written for something.**

 **Anyways, let me know what you think of the story and which TMI/TDA/TID girls and/or boys you want to see appear in the story, as either the Selected, or as guards. I already have a few in mind, and I was really struggling to come up with even 15 girls for the storyline!**

 **As always, read, review, or favorite [why not all three? It would mean a lot :)]**

 **Xoxo, Lexielovely**


	2. Chapter 2

As I walked home with a heavy heart and a lot on my mind, Jem's words kept on swirling in my brain. I knew I had to do this for the sake of my family, and for Jem, but I never told him that. Eventually, he would die from the use of yin fen, which was expensive already as it was. If I entered, I would have some money to use to help him. And if I won… the possibilities were endless. But I just couldn't stand the thought of doing that to him. The look on his face… it would tear me to pieces.

The moment I walked through the door into my house, I heard the TV blaring, and the lovely (and I mean that sarcastically) face of William Herondale graced the screen. The news was playing, and my parents watched avidly as he answered questions with the host of Idris News, the infamous Magnus Bane. Although I strongly believe that most people in the castle were stuck-up and rude, Magnus truly did appear kind. It might just be his eccentric appearance of cat-like eyeliner and dyed hair, but he always struck me as a colorful character. It brought life to the show.

"So William, we've all heard about the upcoming Selection," Magnus remarked, leaning forward, his hair glittering in the spotlights. At this point, I could practically imagine the thousands of girls vying for the chance to be in the contest screaming in excitement. Pathetic, I thought, mentally rolling my eyes.

At that, William immediately smirked, his slight playboy smile telling all. But if you looked at his eyes, you could seeing a glimmer of…? What? Regret, sadness, anger? Maybe this William Herondale was not all he seemed to be.

But that was silly. He was a playboy, a jerk who did nothing but hurt girls and leave a trail of broken hearts in his wake. There was no way he had the capacity to feel any other emotions besides lust and arrogance. That's what I had believed as I watched him all these years, and that's exactly what I feel now. Did I mention he was a playboy?

"Well Magnus, it's a tradition after all. As a royal member of the Herondale family, it's important to continue that. Plus, how could I ever give up an opportunity to meet all of these beautiful ladies out there?" William said, earning a cheer from people all over the news studio.

Magnus seemed elated at the prospect of gossip and excitement, leaning forward so far in his chair that he practically fell off. "Now Will, do tell. Do you think you'll meet your match out of 35 girls?"

"Magnus, it would be impossible not to. These women, who I'm sure will all be incredible, will each bring something different. I'm just excited to see what it will be."

"And what of your… fun in these recent years? Will you have time to do all of that while in the middle of a Selection?" Magnus asked.

With that, Will's eyes flashed with anger, going as quickly as it came. "I admit, I've had my fair share of experiences these past few years, but I really think that it's time to settle down and find my one true love. After all, isn't that what every person dreams of? The chance to meet someone you have the pleasure of spending the rest of your life with forever."

Magnus looked almost thoughtful at that statement, as if he was hiding something he wasn't able to reveal yet. "I completely agree with that Will. I guess we will have to wait and see, won't we? But for now, it's been a pleasure talking with you," he said. Now turning to the camera, Magnus exclaimed, "and don't forget that next week will be one of the single most exciting events, the choosing of the Selection girls! So put your names in there! Have a good night Idris!"

So caught up in the program, Mom and Dad hadn't even realized I had come into the house until I loudly closed the door. They spun around, alarmed, but then relaxed when they saw me. Recently, there had been a ton of break-ins, mostly from people in the 8 category. But then again, why would they rob a lowly 6 household?

"Theresa dear, did you see the segment that just came on? Isn't that William Herondale so handsome? Just think, that could be who you would marry if you won the Selection," my mother said with a hint of persuasion and hopefulness in her tone.

"Don't worry Mom. You can turn down the persuasion just a little bit. I already made up my mind."

"Which would be…?" My mother asked with a warning in her tone.

"I've decided to enter the Selection," I remarked, slightly dejected at having to utter those words.

"Oh my goodness, that's just splendid! I'm so excited! Isn't this wonderful, dear?" she asked, turning to my father.

Looking at him, I realized that he wasn't really all that thrilled, a slight, barely-there frown on his face. _That makes two of us_ , I thought. Uncertainly, he remarked, "Well, if it is what Tessa wants."

Taking a deep breath, I lied through my teeth and said, "Of course it is. It is a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"Perfect. We will go sign up tomorrow." Satisfied, she turned away while saying, "Now get some rest. You need to look perfect for tomorrow."

With a long sight, I trudged upstairs, thinking about what I had just gotten myself in to.

The next day, I woke up bright and early. For a moment, all was calm and peaceful. I had completely forgotten about the application process for the Selection today. Suddenly, my excited and completely frazzled mother burst into my room with a loud bang. Finally remembering, I groaned and stuffed my face into my pillow.

"Get up, get up. We have a big day planned ahead of us! We have to start getting you ready if we want to make it to the place by 10."

About an hour of pure torture later, I was finally ready, covered in a thin layer of pretty makeup reserved for special occasions and a beautiful blue dress to bring out my grey eyes that seemed larger than usual, my hair curled to perfection. I looked completely different.

By then, it was almost time to start heading to the sign up place. Rushing and going as quickly as we possibly could, we make it there just in the nick of time. But by then, the line was almost a mile long. "My goodness, would you look at this line? It's crazy!" my mother exclaimed.

Just by sheer luck, we happened to run into Jem's mother. Completely taken by surprise, we said our hellos, but I was wondering why she was here. Apparently, my mother could read my mind and asked, "Why Ke Wen, what are you doing here?"

"Well, Elizabeth, I offered to help out my friend with the process of signing all of these girls up. I can see why she needed help! This is absurd! But Tessa, I didn't realize you were signing up."

"I actually decided to last night. My mother can be very persuasive when she wants to be."

"Theresa, we both know you made this decision on your own. She's just teasing," she told Ke Wen. "By the way, how's Jeremy? We haven't seen him in a while." At the sound of Jem's name coming from my mother's lips, my blood ran cold. But she couldn't possibly know.

"Oh, he's doing fine. Better than fine actually. Just between us, I think he has a special girl in his life." I went pale.

"Really? That's so exciting, how do you know?" My mother asked.

"Well he hasn't said anything yet, but he's been saving up money. I think he's gonna propose!" With that, I got the ultimate surprise. This conversation had been a whole heart-stopper, but I think I practically died of excitement right on the spot. Jem was going to propose! This was more than I had ever hoped for. I never thought it was possible for us to be married, our lives were so complicated.

I didn't even pay attention to the rest of the conversation, or the rest of the line, as I floated around in my clouds of thought and happiness until we reached the run of the front line. I could barely concentrate on filling out the application, I was so excited. How ironic it was, signing up to compete for one man's affections while I had another who loved he wholeheartedly and who I loved back, waiting for me right here! But of course, it was my mother's wishes.

The first question on the application was my name. Easy, Theresa Gray. Next, caste. Well… 6, not much else I could put on there. My province, London. Age, 18. Height. I think I was about 5 ft. 8 inches. Weight, 58 KG. My hair color, brown. My eyes, grey (just like my last name). Languages I speak, English and French, I needed both when communicating with my employers. Finally, hobbies. Hm… I guess I could put reading and drawing on there. In retrospect, I really didn't have many things to. But no matter. I filled it out and turned it in.

Next, it was time to take the picture. But all I could think about was Jem. With a big smile on my face and a dreamy look in my eyes, I sat down on the stool. I didn't even realize I had taken my picture until the end. Distantly, I heard the sound of a camera click, then I was released. But to be honest, I didn't really think about anything else for the rest of the day.

For the rest of the week, everything was the same. Work, and my mother constantly berating me. It has been slightly better ever since I had signed up for the Selection, but she was constantly on me. All the way until the big day. The day the Selection girls would be announced.

That day, we were gathered around the television, anxiously waiting for the news to begin. Finally, the symbol of Idris appeared and Magnus Bane appeared on screen, with the royal family sitting beside him. They made decent small talk about how excited they were and how much they were looking forward to this moment until they announced they were going to start announcing the girls.

Honestly, I hadn't really been paying much attention until it began. I only caught a few names, but all of the girls were absolutely stunning.

"Miss Clarissa Fray of Alicante, Five." A pretty girl with fiery orange-red hair appeared on screen, her eyes sparkling with something I was unable to decipher.

"Miss Tatiana Lightwood of Brocelind, Two." An average looking girl was shown, with ordinary brown hair. Nothing really caught my eye about her, just her status. But there was something in her eyes that made her look almost crazy. She probably was just excited.

"Miss Helen Blackthorn of Wrangel Island, Three." A unique girl appeared. She was obviously of some elfish descent, as her ears were pointed in only a way one of the elfish could have. She was very pretty, with her platinum blonde hair and kind eyes.

"Miss Emma Carstairs of Los Angeles, Four." A beautiful girl with long blonde hair a fierce look in her eyes appeared. She was obviously a very passionate girl with a lot of fire in her.

"Miss Isabelle Lightwood of New York, Three." A striking black-haired beauty appeared on the screen. Like Emma, she obviously was a fighter. Otherwise, she truly did seem like a kind girl.

I would have listed more, but the next name that they called completely threw me off guard.

"Miss Theresa Gray of London, Six." And just like that, my whole world changed as I knew it.

 **A/N: And that's a wrap on chapter 2. Let me know what you think, it took forever to write this. Btw, if you didn't see any of your favorite female characters from the TID/TMI/TDA fandom, rest assured, I only listed a few. I already have a whole lineup figured out. Anyways, read and please please please review!**

 **XOXO, Lexielovely**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, as they belong to Cassandra Clare. Also, the storyline primarily belongs to Kiera Kass; however, there are a few moments in which the events deviate from the plot. Now, on with the story!**

I stared at the screen, frozen in the moment. I just couldn't believe it. That out of the thousands of girls that could have been chosen from London, I was picked. It was unbelievable. I literally had no words. My mother apparently did though.

"Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. I can't believe it, Theresa darling, this incredible. Oh, what a wonderful opportunity. You have a chance to win over the prince. Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed.

By this point, I was thoroughly annoyed. "Okay, Mom, we get it."

She stared at me curiously. "Why aren't you more excited? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I just have to talk to Ke Wen about it. Her and Jeremy just won't believe it."

I froze. I had completely forgotten about Jem. Oh my god, what would he say? I had completely screwed myself over just by giving in to the will of my intolerable mother and putting my name in this mess. I just had to hope that this hadn't cost me my relationship with Jem.

Late at night, while everybody was asleep, I crept out of my house to the treehouse, in an abnormal mood for a typical sojourn to see Jem. But this wasn't just any trip. I didn't even know if I would see him there.

But he was there, I realized, as I neared the entrance, the soft moonlight illuminating his figure. He looked forlorn, and before I could even say anything, he pulled me in for a passionate kiss. Breaking away a few moments later, I rested my head against his chest, surprised. Jem had never been one for spontaneous displays of affection. Sometimes he would even ask before kissing me! Needless to say, I was worried.

"What was that for?" I asked. Because at that moment, I genuinely feared the worst.

"You know what for," Jem said. "Let us not make this any harder than it has to be."

"Jem, what the hell are you talking about? You make it sound like we're breaking up. You know I only did this for my mother, I have no intentions of actually falling in love with that Herondale boy."

"But we can no longer be together. I'll be here, and you'll be far away in Idris competing for the prince's love with 34 other ladies." Damn his reasonability. In fact, the only indication that he was truly heartbroken about this was the look of heartbreak, sadness, and… betrayal?

"We can still work this out. This doesn't have to change anything Jem, I can just come home after being dismissed. I don't see why we can't be together," I replied in desperation. I could not lose him.

Suddenly, his mirage of a calm persona shattered, and he suddenly exclaimed in outburst, "Because, Tessa, why can't you see? While you're there, you may as well be his property. You can't leave until he dismisses you. You can't pretend that we have any power here, we may as well just admit it to ourselves."

Tears streaming down my face, I whispered back to him, realizations of everything I was about to lose hitting me hard. "If I hadn't been chosen, you would have married me. I know you would have, I spoke with your mother."

His face instantly transforming to one of regret, he whispered, "I'm sorry." With that, he limped away, taking my broken heart along with him.

 **A/N: Wow, that one had a lot of drama, didn't it? Next up will be Tessa coming to terms with her situation, and her leaving London. (And maybe even possibly meeting her future best friend and other rivals?). Feel free to leave suggestions in the comments!**

 **XOXO,**

 **Lexielovely**


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